Releasing a critically acclaimed album can be both a blessing and a curse for a band. The upside is obvious: acclaim, popularity, satisfaction and the general feeling of accomplishment. The oft-forgotten downside is the danger that subsequent albums will not seem as good in comparison.
Such is the fate that has befallen post-rock poster boys Explosions in the Sky.
Though the Texas quartet has churned out several albums and a soundtrack’s worth of complex, evocative instrumental music, they will always be held to the magical standard of their third album, 2003’s “The Earth is Not A Cold Dead Place.”
It’s only fair that this review of the band’s sixth album, “Take Care, Take Care, Take Care,” be prefaced with the admission of what will likely be its greatest flaw: it is not “The Earth is a Cold Dead Place.”
However, comparisons aside, “Take Care, Take Care, Take Care,” presents the listener with an extremely cohesive and somewhat adventurous album, full of the cinematic highs and lows that the music world has come to expect from Explosions in the Sky.
In general, the band plays to its strengths, creating lush soundscapes fit to score an entire film, and seemingly long enough to do so (only one track on the six-song album is under the seven-minute mark).
The band also showcases its uncanny ability to use subtle, nuanced variations of one melody within a song without sounding repetitive.
However, the album is also innovative for Explosions in the Sky, frequently utilizing muffled electronic cacophonies at certain points in its songs and, more importantly, using vocal loops for the first time in its career.
The album begins with “Last Known Surroundings,” which opens mysteriously, before the guitars and pounding rhythmic drums join in, creating the band’s hallmark mixture of long tonal chords with heavy guitar picking. The song breaks down about three minutes in, only to give way to a cinematic buildup that ends in a catchy dominant melody.
The second track, “Human Qualities,” is slower and more forlorn. It uses faint vocal loops throughout, which fit well within the song’s atmosphere and do not overpower the instrumental elements.
“Trembling Hands” begins with a strong guitar riff and pounding drums that are somewhat sabotaged by repeated vocal loops beginning five seconds into the song, making it sound repetitive and marking the album’s only low point.
The fourth song, “Be Comfortable, Creature,” begins with intricate guitar picking, and is likely the most technically complex song on the album. The guitars eventually give way to drum and bass interplay before returning with a new, more upbeat melody.
The penultimate track, “Postcard From 1952,” has a calm, friendly opening featuring faint tambourines in the background, before transitioning into a bouncing, guitar-picked riff anchored by steady drums. The song eventually fades out after a slower ending melody.
The album’s final and longest song, “Let Me Back In,” begins with an eerie, unintelligible vocal loop complemented by an equally eerie melody.
After a series of tempo and melody changes, the song settles at a triumphant middle section, before the vocal loop returns for an ending fade out.
The song’s risky varied shifts make it an absolute pleasure to listen to, and a fitting closing to the album.
Mere descriptions of the band’s music fail to do “Take Care, Take Care, Take Care” justice. For a band like Explosions in the Sky, which chooses to eschew lyrics in favor of long-form, radio-unfriendly instrumental pieces, any sort of mainstream success can only come if the music truly resonates with the listener.
That is exactly what the band’s music accomplishes; each song is a subjective emotional experience for the listener. The band uses its musicianship to create a cathartic atmosphere, whether it be harrowing, triumphant, forlorn or otherwise, which the listener then interacts with and comes away from feeling fulfilled.